Challenge Notebook

To get myself more organised I've made myself a little Craft Challenge Notebook to note down challenge requirements & the date they need to be done by.

I covered the notebook & used the toning back of the 12x12 paper for the title block

I stamped the sentiment

I then cut out the flowers & positioned them in the corner

and in the lower corner popped them on the end of the stamped stems.

Finished with some faux stitching round the edge using my white gel pen after handwriting the title.

LIM Monochrome - tried again

Hmmm

Lady LIM Chrissie obviously wasn't too impressed with my last effort!!

So here is my second entry ......

It's an Anniversary card for my daughter & son-in-law - not due until the beginning of next month, but hopefully she won't peak as she is 

very busy atm!

I designed the Monogram ( Initials J & A) & used distress embossing powder & gold pen on the monogram itself. I used distress inks on the background then mounted it on pattered (dotty) card & then plain card

I stamped the sentiment using distress inks & mounted it in the same way.

No more embellishment as I wanted the Monogram to be the 

highlight of the card

ps Lady LIM see the Too late but I'll post - as you expressed an interest ;-)

Making my mind up ...

or

The challenge over at Less is More this week is

A One Layer Card with the SENTIMENT
as the focus of your creation.

I can't decide which placement I like best. Usually it just pops out at me, 

but not this time!

I just keep changing my mind!

So I'll just have to pick one as my entry!

Xmas embossing

Over on CHNC blog this week it's embossing

this is my entry

I used my Sizzix embossing plates to emboss the holly

and then heat embossed the berries using a glittery red 

embossing powder to accentuate them

I stamped out the circular sentiment

& then stamped & embossed the YOU in the same 

embossing powder as the berries.

I used plain red to surround the sentiment & 

a piece of red ribbon across the card

So there you have it - my entry for Hazel's challenge

I'd also like to enter it for the Bah! Humbug - embossing challenge

Using a recipe ......

I'm getting ahead & have started making Mothers Day cards ........

This one is using the recipe that Sue provided over on Crafts by Carolyn forum.

A butterfly, a circle & a gem.

I used my nestibilities, the scalloped circle to cut & emboss the circle

then I stamped in the middle

& mounted it onto the striped paper background.

The gem is the pearl in the middle of the flower. I also used my Martha Stewart punch for the leaves

and mounted the flower & leaves onto the ribbon.

The butterfly is punched out using my Martha Stewart punch & double layered & the top layer stickled with silver Stickles.

and to finish I stamped the Happy Mothers Day sentiment straight onto the card.

Chic birthday card

It's my friends birthday & I needed to make her a card.

This is what I came up with.

I'd not used this stamp before but thought that it was 'just her'

I coloured it with copics

and mounted the image onto black card

then stamped the 'You are special' sentiment straight onto the red backing paper ....................

I kept the whole look very simple ... to show off the stamp itself

Think that the result is very 'her' :-)

Quick New Home card

I needed a quick New Home card so this is what I came up with.

The green bazil is a really fresh green & complements the lovely mushroom paper

I stamped directly onto the bazil with my trusty home sentiment

and quickly coloured in the little house stamp with my copics.

I matted the picture & the mushroom paper onto plain card & layered them up &

there you have it .....

a quick New Home card :-)

We Three

/;

Over at Daring Cardmakers this week the challenge is We three - three of anything

so these Xmas cards that I've made fit the bill! ...................

The trees are stamped with a stamp that I made myself .............. out of cardboard! & are stenciled by again a handmade stencil for the 'branches'

I've stamped straight onto the card - very simple, no mounting & the sentiments are also stamped straight onto the card.

I used gold metalic paint for the tree shapes & copic's for one of the branches & stazon green ink for the branches on the other through the stencil.

For the third card - well it is We three challenge :-) I used gold brilliance ink which gives a more uniform stamping.

I used stickles to highlight one edge & coloured the stars with the gold ink to match, and decided not to stencil the branches this time.

CBC 2010 Birthday challenge week - Pick a letter

This is my card for the Pick a letter challenge in the Crafts by Carolyn 2010 Birthday challenge week on the Crafts by Carolyn forum. The challenge was to chose a letter & include 3 things on your card beginning with that letter. I chose the letter S for stamping, sentiment & spellbinders.



The sentiment is stamped onto a matte made with spellbinders nestabilities.



The stamped image was again stamped onto a larger matte of plain textured cardstock which I inked with distress inks & then stamped the background writing & the image on top. I used my Martha Stewart branch punch for the leaves & my Matha Stewart edge punch to create the double sided strip.

Do try to pop over to CBC, have a look & join in - all welcome it's a very friendly forum :-) You don't have to do all the challenges, you can pick & choose the ones that take your fancy :-) Prizes are on offer ..................

Challenge card for C.R.A.F.T challenge

This is the sketch for the challenge.



And this is my interpretation - this is a really nice sketch to play with :-) I used K&Co papers, my fairy stamp & blooms with the pearl brads as middles & a Happy Birthday sentiment.

Another New Home card

More of my good friends in the USA have moved home - hopefully they will be too busy moving to peek on here! Couldn't wait to share with you all!



Not sure of the technical name for this type of card but I call it a push pull card ....................... Here it is as received shut and then you pull the ribbon tag ............................................



And hey presto - extra pics!



This is the inside of the card before writing the good wishes ......................... that would give it away!!

New Home Card

I can finally reveal this New Home card after learning that it has arrived in the USA safely to welcome my friend Amy into her new home :-)




There is a mixture of flowers - cut out & coloured with copics along with the fence & small blooms.

Craft Club makes

In between the gabbing, cuppa drinking & biscuit eating I managed to make a couple of cards at Sticky Fixers craft club this week :-) Firstly this cheeky chappie which I finished just before packing away.



This is an example of using the wrong ink for the copic pens - too much gabbing & not concentrating! Note the way the ink has bled over the lines :-(




This is the card I made first using my Martha Stewart leaf punch, the circle I chalked & the birds were stamped & cut out & mounted on sticky fixers to create depth. The sentiment is just so appropriate :-) & mounted on slightly less thick sticky fixers.

Back Crafting!

Sorry for being absent in the blogging world but unfortunately real life took over & I didn't manage to visit my craft room for over a week! I was getting major withdrawal symptoms!!

So today I made a card for the Crafts by Carolyn challenge - it fits in challenge 83 What no red, a Valentines & also 85 Getting Sentimental :-)




The larger hearts were stamped & then cut out & mounted on sticky fixers. The smaller hearts I punched out with my heart punch.



It was great to get back into being creative again :-)